Study Desk

Then I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Who can I send? Who will go for us?" So I said, "Here I am. Send me!"

and said, "Ask for a sign from the Lord your God to prove to yourself that this is true. You can ask for any sign you want. The sign can come from a place as deep as Sheol or as high as the skies."

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask for a sign as proof. I will not test the Lord ."

"At that time the Lord will call for the ‘Fly' that is now near the streams of Egypt, and he will call for the ‘Bee' that is now in the country of Assyria. Those enemies will come to your country.

But there will be enough milk for them to eat milk curds. In fact, everyone left in the country will eat milk curds and honey.

The Lord told me, "Get a large scroll, and use an ordinary pen to write these words: ‘This is for Maher Shalal Hash Baz.'"

All you nations, prepare for war. You will be defeated. Listen, all you faraway countries! Prepare for battle. You will be defeated.

Make your plans for the fight. Your plans will be defeated. Give orders to your armies, but your orders will be useless, because God is with us!

If you people would respect him, he would be a safe place for you. But you don't respect him, so he is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall. He has become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into.

The Lord said, "Write this agreement. Tie it up and seal it so that it cannot be changed. Give these teachings to my followers for safekeeping."

The Lord has turned away from the family of Jacob. But I will wait for him. I trust that he will come to save us.

Here I am with the children the Lord has given me. We are here as signs from the Lord All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion. He is using us to show his plans for the people of Israel.

The people will say, "Go to the fortunetellers and wizards who mumble and chirp like birds. Ask them what to do." But I say, "Shouldn't people go to their God for help? Why go to the dead to get help for the living?"

You should follow the teachings and the agreement. I swear, if you follow those other things, there is no future for you.

This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be "Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace."

His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David's throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!

As for Israel, the Arameans are in front of him and the Philistines are behind him. And they are both eating away at him. But the Lord is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing Israel.

The people did not stop sinning. They did not come to the Lord All-Powerful for help.

The Lord All-Powerful was angry, so the land was burned. The people were fuel for the fire. No one showed any compassion to anyone else.

Just look at those lawmakers who write evil laws and make life hard for the people.